Lighter



Dec. 3, 1963 Filed Jan. 25, 1961 A. VAN POPPEL LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 12 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Dec. 3, 1963 A. VAN POPPEL LIGHTER Filed Jan.25, 1961 /An: w n 6 7 mwfi I United States Patent Gebr. van Poppel,Utrecht, Netherlands, a partnership Filed Jan. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 84,826Claims priority, application Great Britain Fan. 26, 195i? 4 Claims. (Ci.67-71) This invention relates generally to lighting devices and moreparticularly to a cigar and cigarette lighter.

Known lighters are provided with actuating means generally rotatablysupported by a shaft journalled in the casin of the lighter and a levergrip is provided for actuating a cover member in which the cover mayenclose a flint wheel and the other associated parts. Generally, thecover may be engaged and operated by the lever grip and the cover isusually perforated or has apertures therein so that the ignitionelements of the lighter are accommodated in the cover in opencommunication with the atmosphere so that dust and other contaminantshave access to the ignition means within the lighter which eventuallyresults in wear and tear and eventual breakdown of the lighter.

It is a principal object of the present invention to overcome thelimitations of the aforementioned lighters.

A feature of the lighter according to the invention is the provision ofa cover on the lighter casing which constitutes the actuating means ofthe lighter. The cover is rotatably supported on a bearing block inwhich is rotatabiy journalled a shaft for pivotally mounting the coverthereon. The cover and the bearing block jointly form a drum-likeconfiguration in which a flint wheel of the ignition mechanism of thelighter is enclosed precluding access of the atmosphere to the workingparts of the cover and the ignition mechanism.

A reservoir containing a combustible, vaporizable liquid is enclosed inthe casing and has a burner mounted thereon. The casing is provided withan upper opening for exposing the burner to the atmosphere when thelighter is ignited upon opening of the cover. In order to actuate thelighter the cover is provided with an extension which closes a controlor stop valve on the reservoir and precludes access of the atmosphere tothe burner when in a closed position and is operable to an open orraised position iri which the valve is automatically opened and theburner placed in communication with the atmosphere.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of the reservoir in acompartment and the control valve in a recess within the casing so thatwhen the cover is in a closed position the cover extension cooperateswith the valve and closing it closes an upper opening of the casing andthe entire ignition device and reservoir and associated valve areconfined within the interior of the casing precluding all access of theatmosphere and contaminants to any of the working parts of the lighter.

Still another feature of the lighter according to the invention is theprovision of a new and novel releasable lock mechanism for releasablylocking the cover in closed and opened positions and for alternativelyurging the cover to a closed position and to an open position independence upon whether the cover is opened or closed.

Other features and advantages of the lighter according to the inventionwill be better understood as described in the following specificationand appended claims, in conjunction with the following drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view partlyin section of a lighter accordingto the invention;

FIG. 2 is a back side elevation view partly in section illustrating themanner in which the cover is journalled on a bearing block according tothe invention; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the control valve and burner assembly onthe liquid reservoir of the lighter in FIG. 1.

The lighter, according to the invention, will be illustrated anddescribed as a lighter in which a combustible, vaporizable liquid isemployed as the lighter fuel. It will be understood that certainfeatures of the invention are applicable to lighters of other well knowntypes.

The lighter according to the drawings comprises a casing 1 made of asuitable material, for example a plastic. The casing is provided with acompartment 2 in which is housed a reservoir 3 for containing acombustible, vaporizable liquid lighter fuel having a low boiling point.The reservoir 3 is provided with a burner 4 in which is disposedcoaxially a valve rod 5 for actuating a control or stop valve element 6to a closed position in the manner hereinafter disclosed. A threadedplug 8 closes the lower end of the compartment 2 and is provided with arecess surface 9 cooperative with the reservoir 3 to. hold it axiallydisposed in the compartment 2 seated against a shoulder 19 in the casing1.

The reservoir 3 and burner are positioned axially in a position by theshoulders 10 in which the burner 4 is be neath the upper edge of asleeve 13 defining an opening which is closed by a cover 14 operable toa closed position in the manner shown in P16. 1 closing the openingdefined by the sleeve 13 and precluding any air supply to the burner 4when in a closed position. When the cover 14 is operated as hereinafterexplained to an opened position it places the burner 4 in communicationwith the atmosphere for actuating the burner.

The cover 14 comprises a drum-shaped or drum-like portion consisting oftwo end walls 16, 17 joined by an arcuate intermediate wall sector 19 towhich is fixed a radially extending portion 29 which is shaped, forexample, as an elongated radially extending lever-like portion and has avalve-operating extension 21 which bears on the valve rod 5 when thecover is in a closed position clos ing the upper opening defined by thesleeve 13. The extension 21 depresses the valve on the reservoir 3 andcloses it as hereinafter explained.

The cover 14 is journalled on a bearing block 23 having a plate portion24 moun ed on the casing 1, provided with an opening through which thereservoir extends upwardly into the sleeve 13. The bearing block 23 isprovided with a semi-cylindrical portion comprising two upstanding walls26, 27 spaced from one another and joined by an intermediate arcuatewall sector 28. A shaft 30 is journalled on the walls 26, 27 for pivotalrotation and extends into the two end walls 16, 17 of thesemi-cylindrical portion of the cover 14 so that the end walls of thesemi-cylindrical portion of the cover which are disposed axiallyoutwardly of the upstanding end walls of the bearing block are pivotallyrotated thereon.

The intermediate Wall sector 19 joining the end walls 16, =17 of thesemi-cylindrical portion of the cover 14 is provided with adiscontinuous or knurled outer surface 31 for operating the cover to anopen position, not shown, in which the intermediate wall sector 19 isdisposed radially outwardly of the intermediate wall 2-5 on the bearingblock substantially in at least partial registrytherewith and foroperating the cover to a closed position in the manner shown in FIG. 1in which the arcuate wall sector 19 is substantially radially oppositeto the arcuate intermediate wall and the bearing block 23 so that thetwo walls jointly form a substantially drum-shaped configurationenclosing all of the inner working parts of the lighter in conjunctionwith the radial extension or portion 2% completely confining them withinthe interior of the casing 1. The wail sector 1? has a surface 32 thatabuts against a stop surface 33 on the bearing block when the cover 14is raised to an open position. It will be noticed that the intermediateWall sector 28 forms only a back. side sector and the bearing blocksemi-cylindrical portion is open in a direction toward the burner whilethe'sleeve 13 is open toward the semi-cylindrical portion to provide apath of communication between ignition means hereinafter described andthe burner 4. The cover in its closed position overlies the casing andcovers the path of communication to the burner 4.

The lighter is provided with ignition means for automatically ignitingthe burner 4 when the cover 14 is operated to a raised or open positionby engaging the knurled surface 31 and rotating it in a counterclockwisedirection in the lighter illustration shown in FIG. 1. The ignitionmeans comprises a flint wheel 34 rotatable on the shaft 30 for rotationtherewith when the cover 14 is operated in the aforementioned upstandingor opened position. The flint wheel cooperates with a hint red 35 andupon rotation generates a spark for igniting the vaporized fluid at theburner 4 when the valve 6 is operated to an opened position upon openingof the cover 14. The wheel 34 is provided with a plurality of laterallyextending teeth 29 on the endside thereof. A leaf spring disk 36 isdisposed rotatably mounted on the shaft 30 between the wheel teeth 29and the end wall 27. The disk has a recess 36' engaged by a projection37 on the cover for rotating the disk when the cover is operated. The

disk is provided with a deflectable pawl portion 36",

which rides over the teeth 29 when the cover is operated to a closedposition and engages the underside of a tooth when the cover is openedthereby rotating the wheel and striking a spark so that the coverfunctions as lighter actuating means.

The flint rod 35 is enclosed in a tube 38 extending axially in acompartment 39 having a reduced guide bore 40. The rod is held axiallyin position and advanced axially to engagement with the flint wheel by athreaded plug 41 received in the tube 38. The lighter is provided withmeans operable alternatively for releasably locking the cover 14 in aclosed position and in an opened position and for alternatively urgingthe cover 14 to a closed position and to the opened position independence upon whether the cover is opened or closed. The locking means7 spring is seated a bearing block 45 having a pair of arcuate recesses47 on opposite sides thereof angularly spaced from one another in whichare seated a pair of actuating links'48, 49 each cooperative with arespective end wall 16, 17 and operably joined thereto by lateralextensions or projections 50, 51 received in respective recesses formedin the end walls of the cover 16, -17.

The upstanding walls 26, 27 of the bearing block are provided withrespective guide recesses 55, 56 for guiding the upper ends of the links48, 49. Thus, it is readily apparent that when the cover 14 is in adownward or closed position as shown in FIG. 1, the links are urgedaxially upwardly by the bearing block and spring 43 in a direction forangularly rotating the walls 16, 17 in a,

clockwise direction corresponding to a direction for closmg the cover14- and holding it in a closed position and bearing on the upper ends ofthe operating links bearing on an upper arcuate end, for example,arcuate end 58 ward direction and because of the resilient spring 43permits the rotation of the cover 14 by allowing depression of theactuating links or actuation in a downward direction compressing thespring 43 so that the cover is operable in the two opposite directions.

According to FIG. 3 the reservoir 3 of the lighter as shown in FIG. 1comprises a cylindrical sleeve 60 internally provided with a seat 61which sleeve is inserted in the filling opening 62 of the reservoir andis adjustably secured in the reservoir by means of screw thread 63.Opposite the seat the burner 4 is provided in the sleeve 6%), whichburner comprises a coaxial aperture 64 through which the rod 5 of thevalve 6 resting on the seat 61 passes.

The possibility of gas escaping between the screw thread 63 tapped inthe filling opening of the reservoir and out on the sleeve is excludedby a ring 66 of resilient material provided in an angular recess 67beneath the shoulder 68 of the sleeve 60.

The radially extending portion 20 of the cover 14 in FIG. 1 bears on thevalve rod 5 projecting from the burner 4 and presses the valve 6 ontoits seat 61 for closing the reservoir 3 filled with low boiling liquid.When the cover 14 is operated to an opened position the valve 6 islifted off its seat 61 by the pressure of the low boiling liquid and gaswill flow from a cotton wick 69 through a system of grooves of aresilient gas-pervious disk member 70, through the clearance 71 leftbetween a follower 72 and the inner wall of a second sleeve 73, alongthe surface of a'sealing disc 74, of non-porous material, through theport in the seat 61, past the valve 6 and through the clearance 76between the rod 5 and the inner wall of the coaxial opening 64 in thesleeve 60. The disk 70 has some play or clearance between it and thesleeve 73. The lower side of the disk has grooves parallel to the planeof the drawing in FIG. 3 and the upper side has grooves perpendicular tothe plane of the drawing. The low boiling fuel rises through thesegrooves and peripherally of the disk 70 and at the upper face of thedisk 74 changes to its gaseous phase.

When the out flowing gas is ignited the height of the flame may beregulated by turning the sleeve 66 relative to the reservoir 3 so as toregulate the pressure which the sleeve 69 exerts on the disc 70 locatedbeneath the port 75 in the seat 6-1.

As shown in FIG. 1 the reservoir 3 is closed at the underside by a cap52 sealed to the reservoir with a thermo setting material 53.

While a preferred embodiment of a lighter according to the invention hasbeen illustrated and described it will be understood that manymodifications vand changes can be made within the true spirit and scopeof the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lighter comprising, in combination, a reservoir for combustiblevaporizable liquid, a burner on said reservoir, a valve on saidreservoir automatically operable to an open position to providevaporized liquid to said burner and operable to a closed position, acasing for said reservoir having an opening for exposing said burner tothe atmosphere, lighter actuating means comprising a cover on saidcasing operable to a closed position covering said opening and confiningsaid reservoir, burner and 'valve interiorly of said casing and operableto an open position to uncover said opening and expose said burner tothe atmosphere, said cover comprising means for closing said valve whenthe cover is in a closed position only, a substantially drum-shapedbearing block portion on said casing for pivotally mounting said covercomprising two spaced end walls and an arcuate intermediate wall sectorjoining said end walls, said cover comprising a substantiallydrum-shaped portion having spaced end walls both disposed outwardly ofthe first-mentioned end walls and an intermediate arcuate wall sectorjoining the cover portion end walls, a shaft rotatably journalled on thetwo first-mentioned walis rotatably mounting the cover drumshapedportion two end Walls on said bearing block portion, an ignition devicefor automaticaliy igniting vaporized liquid at said burner comprising aflint wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation intermediate thefirst-mentioned end walls rotatably operated under control of the coverwhen moved to an open position and disposed spaced from said burner,means defining a path of communication between said burner and ignitiondevice, said means for closing said valve comprising a cover portionfixed to said arcuate intermediate wall sector of said cover drum-shapedportion extending radially therefrom, said intermediate wall sector ofsaid substantially drumshaped cover portion having an outer surfaceengageable manually for operating the cover to an open position in whichsaid intermediate wall sector of the cover is disposed radiallyoutwardly of said intermediate wall of said bearing block substantiallyin at least partial registry therewith and for operating the cover to aclosed position in which the arcuate intermediate wall on the cover isdisposed substantially circumferentially opposite to said arcuateintermediate wall sector on said bearing block so that said two arcuatewall sectors in conjunction with said end walls of said coverdrum-shaped portion form a completely enclosed substantially drumshapedconfiguration and said cover portion extending radially from said coverarcuate intermediate wall overlies a portion of said casing to coversaid path of communication between said ignition device and said burnerand closes said opening to deprive the burner of access to theatmosphere and completely confines it interiorly of said burner casingwhereby all operating parts of said lighter are enclosed and protected.

2. -A lighter comprising, in combination, a reservoir for combustiblevaporizable liquid, a burner on said reservoir, a valve on saidreservoir automatically operable to an open position to providevaporized liquid to said burner and operable to a closed position, acasing for said reservoir having an opening for exposing said burner tothe atmosphere, lighter actuating means comprising a cover on saidcasing operable to a closed position covering said opening and confiningsaid resenvoir, burner and valve interiorly of said casing and operableto an open position to uncover said opening and expose said burner tothe atmosphere, said cover comprising means for closing said valve whenthe cover is in a closed position only, a substantially drum-shapedbearing block portion on said casing for pivotally mounting said covercomprising two spaced end walls and an arcuate intermediate wall sectorjoining said end walls, said cover comprising a substantiallydrum-shaped portion having spaced end walls both disposed outwardly ofthe first-mentioned end walls and an intermediate arcuate wall sectorjoining the cover portion end Walls, a shaft rotatably journalled on thetwo first-mentioned walls rotatably mounting the cover drum-shapedportion two end Walls on said bearing block portion, an ignition devicefor semi-automatically igniting vaporized liquid at said burnercomprising a flint wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation intermediatethe first-mentioned end walls rotatably operated under control of thecover when moved to an open position and disposed spaced from saidburner, means defining a path of communication between said burner andignition device, said means for closing said valve comprising a coverportion fixed to said arcuate intermediate wall sector of said coverdrum-shaped portion extending radially therefrom, means operable foralternatively releasably locking said cover in closed and openedpositions and for alternatively urging said cover to a closed positionand to an open position in dependence upon whether said cover is openedor closed, and said intermediate Wall sector on said substantiallydrum-shaped cover portion having a discontinuous outer surfaceengageable manually for operating the cover to an open position in whichsaid intermediate wall sector on the cover is disposed outwardly of saidintermediate wall on said bearing block substantially in at leastpartial registry therewith and for operating the cover to a closedposition in which the arcuate intermediate wall on the cover is disposedsubstantially circumferentially opposite to said arcuate intermediatewall sector on said bearing block so that said two arcuate wall sectorsin conjunction with said end walls of said cover semi-cylindricalportion form a completely enclosed substantially drum-shapedconfiguration and said cover portion extending radially from said coverarcuate intermediate wall overlies a portion of said casing to coversaid path of communication between said ignition device and said burnerand closes said opening and deprives the burner of access to theatmosphere and completely confines it interiorly of said burner casing,whereby all operating parts of said lighter are enclosed and protected.

3. A lighter according to claim 2, in which said means for releasablylocking said cover comprises, a pair of spaced link members eacheccentrically cooperative pivotally with a respective one of said endwalls on said cover for urging said cover end Walls to rotate on saidshaft alternatively in opposite directions corresponding to directionsurging the cover to a closed position and to a direction in which thecover is urged toward an open position, and resilient means urging saidlink member axially in one direction for urging said rotation of saidcover toward said opposite directions in dependence upon Whether saidcover is open or closed respectively.

4. A lighter according to claim 3, in which said resilient meansincludes a bearing member on which the two link members are free topivot and a spring urging said bearing member in a direction toward saidlink members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,620,643 Nissen v Dec. 9, 1952 2,633,724 Anderson Apr. 7, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 204,311 Austria July 10, 1959 599,527 Great Britain Mar. 15,1948

1. A LIGHTER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RESERVOIR FOR COMBUSTIBLEVAPORIZABLE LIQUID, A BURNER ON SAID RESERVOIR, A VALVE ON SAIDRESERVOIR AUTOMATICALLY OPERABLE TO AN OPEN POSITION TO PROVIDEVAPORIZED LIQUID TO SAID BURNER AND OPERABLE TO A CLOSED POSITION, ACASING FOR SAID RESERVOIR HAVING AN OPENING FOR EXPOSING SAID BURNER TOTHE ATMOSPHERE, LIGHTER ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A COVER ON SAIDCASING OPERABLE TO A CLOSED POSITION COVERING SAID OPENING AND CONFININGSAID RESERVOIR, BURNER AND VALVE INTERIORLY OF SAID CASING AND OPERABLETO AN OPEN POSITION TO UNCOVER SAID OPENING AND EXPOSE SAID BURNER TOTHE ATMOSPHERE, SAID COVER COMPRISING MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID VALVE WHENTHE COVER IS IN A CLOSED POSITION ONLY, A SUBSTANTIALLY DRUM-SHAPEDBEARING BLOCK PORTION ON SAID CASING FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID COVERCOMPRISING TWO SPACED END WALLS AND AN ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTORJOINING SAID END WALLS, SAID COVER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLYDRUM-SHAPED PORTION HAVING SPACED END WALLS BOTH DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OFTHE FIRST-MENTIONED END WALLS AND AN INTERMEDIATE ARCUATE WALL SECTORJOINING THE COVER PORTION END WALLS, A SHAFT ROTATABLY JOURNALLED ON THETWO FIRST-MENTIONED WALLS ROTATABLY MOUNTING THE COVER DRUMSHAPEDPORTION TWO END WALLS ON SAID BEARING BLOCK PORTION, AN IGNITION DEVICEFOR AUTOMATICALLY IGNITING VAPORIZED LIQUID AT SAID BURNER COMPRISING AFLINT WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION INTERMEDIATE THEFIRST-MENTIONED END WALLS ROTATABLY OPERATED UNDER CONTROL OF THE COVERWHEN MOVED TO AN OPEN POSITION AND DISPOSED SPACED FROM SAID BURNER,MEANS DEFINING A PATH OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID BURNER AND IGNITIONDEVICE, SAID MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID VALVE COMPRISING A COVER PORTIONFIXED TO SAID ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR OF SAID COVER DRUM-SHAPEDPORTION EXTENDING RADIALLY THEREFROM, SAID INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR OFSAID SUBSTANTIALLY DRUMSHAPED COVER PORTION HAVING AN OUTER SURFACEENGAGEABLE MANUALLY FOR OPERATING THE COVER TO AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICHSAID INTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR OF THE COVER IS DISPOSED RADIALLYOUTWARDLY OF SAID INTERMEDIATE WALL OF SAID BEARING BLOCK SUBSTANTIALLYIN AT LEAST PARTIAL REGISTRY THEREWITH AND FOR OPERATING THE COVER TO ACLOSED POSITION IN WHICH THE ARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL ON THE COVER ISDISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OPPOSITE TO SAID ARCUATEINTERMEDIATE WALL SECTOR ON SAID BEARING BLOCK SO THAT SAID TWO ARCUATEWALL SECTORS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID END WALLS OF SAID COVERDRUM-SHAPED PORTION FORM A COMPLETELY ENCLOSED SUBSTANTIALLY DRUMSHAPEDCONFIGURATION AND SAID COVER PORTION EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID COVERARCUATE INTERMEDIATE WALL OVERLIES A PORTION OF SAID CASING TO COVERSAID PATH OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID IGNITION DEVICE AND SAID BURNERAND CLOSES SAID OPENING TO DEPRIVE THE BURNER OF ACCESS TO THEATMOSPHERE AND COMPLETELY CONFINES IT INTERIORLY OF SAID BURNER CASINGWHEREBY ALL OPERATING PARTS OF SAID LIGHTER ARE ENCLOSED AND PROTECTED.